Theatre for Everybody (Gaza) and Az Theatre (London) are working together on
PALESTINE: REPAIR & RETURN
Background:
Az Theatre is a UK-based charity set up by Jonathan Chadwick and associates in 2004 to pursue international and community partnerships, mainly the WAR STORIES project (2004-7). Our mission: PERFORMING ARTS INSPIRING ACTIVISM
Az Theatre has since 2009 been in partnership with Theatre for Everybody which was set up in 1987 in Gaza by current co-Artistic Directors: Jamal Al Rozzi and Hossam Madhoun. See the history of this project: http://aztheatre.org.uk/gaza-drama-long-term-2/
Recent activities
MESSAGES FROM GAZA NOW are Hossam Madhoun’s accounts of his experiences in Gaza since October 2023. We have presented 14 events in the UK, including a two-week exhibition with accompanying events which showed a film installation of the readings of MESSAGES FROM GAZA NOW. The film was produced by Maysoon Pachachi. We have taken part in the development of the White Kite Collective and fully engaged in the events run by them where we have presented Hossam MESSAGES integrally with the programmes they have produced.
We have presented 10 events in Italy, GAZA ORA, in Italian of these accounts. They have had a major impact on publics and in Italy have elicited critical acclaim.
Well over 1000 people have attended these events. We have also succeeded in having Hossam’s MESSAGES translated in to Italian, Spanish, French, Catalan, German thus extending the reach of his ‘voice’ and his story. We have collaborated with Markaz Review in publishing a selection.
PALESTINE: REPAIR & RETURN
In February 2024 alongside our partners, Theatre for Everybody, we initiated a new phase of our work called PALESTINE: REPAIR & RETURN.
We aim to engage with diverse field of social activity and practices, placing theatre and drama in a creative and integrating role amongst other ‘skill and knowledge’ communities.
Up to October 2024 we have run 4 REPAIR & RETURN events. One focusing on a developing relationship with architects, another exploring organisational resilience in the Gaza NGO sector, a third exploring the experiences of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli detention centres and prisons and a fourth focusing on learning and teaching. We have engaged with psycho-social support activists and managers, architects, human rights activists, psychotherapists, lawyers, teachers, drama practitioners and others.
Through the networks created around our events we aim to connect practitioners and activists in the UK and world-wide with reparative and creative projects in Palestine, supporting the people working on those projects, and alongside these personal collaborations to facilitate access to funds resources to help them advance and develop.
We are working with P21 Gallery in London as a venue for our live events and extending participation online. https://p21.gallery/
Future programme:
PALESTINE: REPAIR & RETURN – Stories of Women and Health on Wednesday 13th November 2024 at 7pm P21 Gallery and online. https://p21.gallery/news/196
PALESTINE: REPAIR & RETURN – Stories of Water on Thursday 12th December 2024 at 7pm P21 and online
PALESTINE: REPAIR & RETURN – Stories of Earth and Soil on Thursday 16th January at 7pm P21 and online
PALESTINE: REPAIR & RETURN – Stories of the Disabled planned for February 2024